CORTLAND – Antonio Cromartie still thinks he could be the Jets number two receiver.

Speaking for the first time since he declared he is the Jets’ second-best option at wide receiver during an interview Tuesday on ESPN’s First Take, Cromartie didn’t back away from his comments.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” Cromartie said following Friday’s practice. “My whole thing was I simply explained why I said it, that I could be the number two receiver on the team, by just saying my physical traits and my work ethic.

“That’s how I felt. That was my opinion. Of course, you guys want to blow it up, but we’re gonna let that go. At the end of the day, I’m a corner first, and whenever that time comes to go out and play receiver, I’ll go out there and do it.”

The story has dragged on for days, with wide receiver Chaz Schilens responding Wednesday that the comments were a ‘slight,’ and with Jets coach Rex Ryan saying that he’d address the situation with the team.

Schilens then admitted Thursday that the comments had frustrated him, and that he could have handled the situation differently, while Mark Sanchez strongly defended his receiving corps.

But, for his part, Cromartie never understood what the fuss was about.

“Honestly, it wasn’t an issue to me before Rex said it,” Cromartie said. “The only people that’s going to make it an issue is the media, so it’s not an issue in our locker room, not an issue anywhere else. We just go about our business every single day.”

“If the receivers felt like they were disrespected … at the end of the day, they can come talk to me and I can explain to them exactly what I meant. But no, I don’t regret saying it at all.”

Cromartie got one snap during 7-on-7 drills, lining up out wide on the left when Tim Tebow was under center. Tebow actually looked like he might throw the ball Cromartie’s way for a moment before eventually throwing the ball elsewhere. It was his second rep of the week at wideout, after also lining up out wide on the left-hand side during team drills Monday.

While playing corner late in practice, Cromartie was burned for a touchdown by Patrick Turner, giving the offensive players a chance to mock him.

“No, I didn’t hear that, I guess,” he said, before adding with a smile, “I can still say I am [the second-best], but that’s my opinion.

“At the end of the day, Mark made a good throw, Patrick may have got in a pushoff at the end … But if you look at it, that’s the only play we gave up all day. Them boys can’t catch a ball on our defense.”